A Reliable Way to be a Christian
An Anglican is a Christian that traces his or her spirituality back to the church in England. While the word “Anglican” itself may be unfamiliar, Anglican spirituality has shaped the world in profound ways. The Book of Common Prayer, one of Anglicanism’s hallmarks, helped shape the modern English language alongside the works of Shakespeare and the King James Bible. Familiar phrases like “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” and “we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of this man and this women” come from the prayer book. Famous Anglicans include writer and apologist C.S. Lewis, poets John Donne and T.S. Eliot, South African Bishop Desmond Tutu, scientific revolutionary Francis Bacon, the original St. Patrick (of March 17th fame), and bible scholar N.T. Wright. Archbishop Robert Duncan once articulated that “Anglicanism is not the only way to be a Christian, but it is a reliable way of being a Christian.”
Marks of Anglican spirituality include:
- The Primacy of the Christian Gospel, which is the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, God’s divine offer of forgiveness, and the promise that Jesus will return to fix a broken world.
- The Evangelical focus on God’s word, The Bible, as the authority for life and faith.
- The Book of Common Prayer and the 39 Articles of Religion, two key documents that outline Anglican faith and practice.
- A catholic focus on history, tradition, and the important contributions of past Christians for our modern life.
- A Charismatic focus on the Holy Spirit’s work to heal, empower, and lead any Christian.
- The “Big Tent”, which welcomes unity in essentials and charitable disagreement in non-essentials. We try not to sweat the small stuff!
- A Global Church, connected across international boundaries by a mutual love for the Christian Gospel and a desire for integrated mission partnerships.
- Beauty, an appreciation for artistic expressions of faith through poetry, music, artwork, and literature.
What can you expect when you visit an Anglican Church?
Liturgy. Christians have, for nearly 2,000 years, connected with God through liturgical worship. Our liturgy comes from the Book of Common Prayer, a famous book from the Reformation that’s used all over the world today. It’s very common for Anglican Christians to stand, sit, and kneel during the service, and those who have physical limitations join in the service as they are able.
Music. Anglicans enjoy many different styles of church music. Some churches have pipe organs, some have large pianos, and some have modern bands with guitar or drum. Many, including Epiphany, will use a mix of hymns and contemporary music during the service.
Prayer. Prayer is an important part of the Anglican worship service. Some of those prayers are written down and recited, others are freely offered from the heart. Most Anglican churches will pray for government and community leaders, and many will pray according to current events. Anglicans pray for each other, and they also pray a confession during the service.
Communion. Unlike many American churches, Anglicans will generally have communion every week. All baptized Christians are welcome to take communion with the Anglican church, regardless of their denomination. We use bread and a common cup with wine, and those who wish to abstain from alcohol for reasons of recovery or conscience are welcome to take communion with just bread.
The Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh
Epiphany is a member of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh and connected with another 50+ congregations across the Pittsburgh region.
The Anglican Church of North America
The ACNA is Epiphany’s denomination, a body of 1000+ congregations across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., connected in partnership with Christians across the globe.